Search Results (4,852)

A robust Folin–Ciocalteu method, coupled with an optimized ultrasonic-assisted extraction, was established for accurate quantification of total polyphenols in high-oil grape seed matrices, where lipid interference and low extraction efficiency have been persistent challenges. Samples were first defatted with n-hexane to eliminate lipid interference. Key colorimetric parameters—Folin–Ciocalteu reagent volume, Na₂CO₃ concentration, reaction temperature, and time—were systematically optimized and validated for linearity, precision, and recovery. Subsequently, using defatted grape seed powder as the raw material, a four-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design combined with response surface methodology was employed to optimize the four extraction parameters: solid-to-liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, and extraction time. The optimal conditions were 0.5 mL of Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, 20% Na₂CO₃, and reaction at 30 °C for 2.0 h, yielding a linear calibration curve (R² = 0.9991) with satisfactory methodological validation. Optimal extraction (52% ethanol, 1:50 w/v, 68 °C, 21 min) achieved a total polyphenol content of 2.93 × 10⁴ mg·kg⁻¹, closely matching the predicted value (relative error = 0.34%). Analysis of seven grape seed varieties from the Hebei Province revealed significant content variation (p < 0.05), ranging from 3.24 to 7.47 × 10⁴ mg·kg⁻¹, with Rose grape seeds exhibiting the highest level. The developed method effectively overcame matrix interference from high oil content, offering a reliable, efficient tool for screening high-polyphenol grape seed varieties and supporting the development of value-added functional products. Full article

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a critical threat to global health because of the scarcity of effective therapeutic approaches. Sorafenib, a first-line treatment for advanced HCC, often faces efficacy limitations due to acquired resistance. Therefore, it is urgent to explore novel and effective anti-cancer drugs and combination therapies. This study explored the anti-HCC potential of Enocyanin (Eno), a natural anthocyanin-rich extract derived from grapes, either alone or combined with sorafenib. Our findings indicated that 100 μg/mL Eno remarkably suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of HepG2 cells, which was related to the induction of ferroptosis characterized by increased intracellular Fe²⁺, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and Acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4 (ACSL4) levels, coupled with decreased glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Mechanistically, Eno promoted ferroptosis which was associated with inhibition of the p62/Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Notably, Eno (100 μg/mL) combined with sorafenib (2 μM) had a synergistic anti-tumor effect (Q = 1.47), which further enhanced the inhibition of HepG2 cell growth and metastasis, aggravated ferroptosis, and more strongly suppressed the p62/Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 axis. In the C57BL/6 mouse subcutaneous HCC transplantation model, the combination of Eno and sorafenib showed a stronger inhibitory effect on tumor growth, reaching a 70% inhibition rate, compared to 33% with Eno alone and 55% with sorafenib alone. In summary, this study demonstrates that Eno may be a novel inducer of ferroptosis, and it has the potential to be used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. It also provides a potential combined treatment strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of sorafenib. Full article

The vigorous growth of new shoots can significantly reduce grape yield and compromise fruit quality. In order to explore the effects of prohexadione calcium (Pro-Ca) and mepiquat chloride (MC) on the control effect of new shoot growth and fruit quality of grape, ‘Shine Muscat’ grapevine (Vitis labruscana × V. vinifera) was used as the test material, and different concentrations of Pro-Ca and a combination of Pro-Ca and MC were sprayed four times before flowering of ‘Shine Muscat’ grapevines, and the effects of the different treatments on the new shoot growth and fruit quality of ‘Shine Muscat’ grape were analyzed and evaluated. The results demonstrated that low concentrations of Pro-Ca had limited efficacy in controlling shoot growth. However, the combined treatment of Pro-Ca 300 mg/L + MC 300 mg/L not only effectively inhibited shoot elongation but also significantly enhanced the chlorophyll content of the leaves opposite to the clusters and increased branch density. Additionally, this treatment improved berry size (single berry weight, vertical and horizontal diameter) and elevated the soluble solids content (SSC). These findings suggest that the combined application of Pro-Ca (300 mg/L) and MC (300 mg/L) is the most effective strategy for balancing vegetative growth and enhancing fruit quality in ‘Shine Muscat’ grapevines. Full article

The sustainability of the wine sector depends on primary production practices and on the adaptability of plant material to climate change. This study evaluates the carbon footprint and technical efficiency of four grape varieties in Paionia using an integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis framework. A cradle-to-gate approach was adopted, with system boundaries extending from input production to harvest, and functional units of kg CO₂e/ha to capture input intensity and kg CO₂e/kg grape to assess product-level environmental efficiency. The analysis included 82 vineyards, with DEA scores ranging from 0.744 to 1.000; most vineyards operated below the efficiency frontier, and the input-oriented VRS model identified potential input reductions without affecting output. Merlot showed the highest footprint (3794.02 kg CO₂e/ha), followed by Assyrtiko (2798.40) and Xinomavro (2784.48), while Roditis had the lowest (1958.07); on a per-kg basis, emissions were 0.340, 0.304, 0.281, and 0.143 kg CO₂e/kg respectively. The DEA identified targeted input-saving opportunities, including reduced irrigation needs in white varieties and lower nutrient and plant-protection requirements in red varieties, while the strong performance of Roditis highlights the advantages of locally adapted, low-input plant material for improving efficiency. Full article

This study aims to develop and characterize novel dermatocosmetic formulations designed to hydrate the skin, improve its appearance, reduce wrinkles, and provide antioxidant, anti-ageing, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory benefits, along with potential protection against UVA and UVB radiation. The formulations contain the following ingredients: xanthan gum (0.5%), Calendula officinalis oil (5%), Argania spinosa oil (5%), Helianthus annuus oil (5%), liposomes containing a hydroalcoholic extract of pomace from local red or white grapes (2%), an olive oil-based emulsifier (6%), vitamin E (0.5%), cetearyl alcohol (3%), propylene glycol (8%), and purified water (up to 100%). The natural ingredients used in these formulations, i.e., the red or white grape pomace extract from the aforementioned Romanian varieties, the oils of Calendula officinalis, Argania spinosa, and Helianthus annuus, xanthan gum, and the olive oil-based emulsifier (Olliva), promote the concept of ‘green cosmetics’. The use of liposomes to deliver bioactive substances from hydroalcoholic extracts allows the gradual release of active ingredients into the skin. An alternative for incorporating grape pomace extract into a cream-type matrix involves the use of liposomes. Liposomes loaded with red or white grape pomace extract were prepared using the thin-film hydration technique, followed by ultrasonication and extrusion. The obtained formulations were characterized using bio-physico-chemical analysis procedures in terms of consistency, colour, homogeneity, aroma, pH, stretch, texture, stability, and antioxidant activity/free radical scavenging capacity, as well as in vitro polyphenol release behaviour. These newly developed dermatocosmetic formulations were the subject of a patent application in Romania. Full article

To change the saturated fatty acid composition of traditional cookies and enhance their functionality, corn oil-based emulsion gels were innovatively used as a substitute for butter. The study also investigated the impact of adding powder on the overall quality of cookies. Under optimal conditions comprising a 6:4 oil-to-water ratio, 3% gelatin concentration, and 0.1% grape seed polyphenol concentration, the prepared emulsion gel achieved an oil retention rate of 84.5%. Following the incorporation of the emulsion gel, the sensory score of the composite sample WZ significantly increased. The texture became softer, and a greenish-brown color, more acceptable to consumers, was developed. In vitro digestion analysis further revealed that the combined incorporation of Nannochloropsis gaditana powder and the emulsion gel reduced the RDS content from 59.6% to 54.0%,while increasing RS content to 25.8%, thereby effectively retarding the rate of in vitro starch digestion. This study utilized a corn oil-GSP/gelatin emulsion gel as a butter substitute in combination with microalgae incorporation, thereby achieving concurrent health enhancement and quality improvement of cookie products. The approach provides a feasible technical strategy and theoretical foundation for developing novel baked foods that exhibit favorable sensory properties and controlled starch digestion characteristics. Full article

Water availability represents a major limiting factor for crop production, particularly in Mediterranean agroecosystems. In parallel, water-stressed plants are often more susceptible to diseases, including Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs), such as Botryosphaeria Dieback caused by Botryosphaeriaceae species. In Italy, the increasing prevalence of GTDs in young table grape plants and nursery material highlights the need to better understand the interaction between abiotic stress and pathogen dissemination in woody tissues. This study investigated the relationship between different water regimes (WRs) and infections by Neofusicoccum parvum. Grapevine cuttings (Vitis vinifera ‘Italia’ vines grafted onto the rootstock ‘140 Ruggeri’) were subjected to three WRs (20%, 50%, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration, ET_c) under controlled environmental conditions and, subsequently, inoculated with mycelial plugs of N. parvum at both the scion and rootstock levels. Plant responses were monitored non-destructively using low-cost proximal sensing tools, including leaf temperature (T_leaf) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Disease development was assessed by measuring internal necrotic lesion extension. Reduced irrigation was associated with increased disease severity, while proximal sensing detected differences in plant physiological responses among water regimes. Overall, the results highlight the interplay between water availability, plant physiological status, and disease severity under controlled conditions. Full article

The removal of water pollutants, specifically the organophosphorus pesticides chlorpyrifos (CHP) and azinphos-methyl (AZM), as well as the dye Rhodamine B (RB), was investigated through the valorization of grape pomace, an abundant agricultural byproduct. For the first time, hydrochars derived from grape pomace were utilized as adsorbents for these contaminants following KOH activation (HCK) and pyrolysis at 400 °C (PHC). The study aimed to evaluate the adsorption performance, determine the optimal conditions, and elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. Physicochemical characterization using SEM, FTIR, BET surface area analysis, stability, and pH_PZC measurements revealed distinct differences in surface morphology, functional groups, porosity, and surface charge. Under optimized conditions, maximum adsorption capacities reached 751.0, 3.98, and 1.39 mg g⁻¹ for RB, CHP, and AZM, respectively, on HCK, and 616.0 (RB), 30.10 (CHP), and 9.15 mg g⁻¹ (AZM) on PHC, indicating that the selected hydrochars efficiently removed the investigated pollutants from water. Kinetic modeling demonstrated pseudo-first-order adsorption for RB and CHP on HCK and pseudo-second-order adsorption for AZM on HCK and all pollutants on PHC. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed that adsorption processes were spontaneous and favorable, with enhancements dependent on temperature. These findings suggest that HCK is particularly effective for cationic dyes, while PHC exhibits greater affinity toward organophosphorus pesticides, offering complementary applications and providing new mechanistic insights into hydrochar-based pollutant removal. Full article

The strategic choice of training system is essential for adapting viticulture to current climate change, ensuring a balance of physiological efficiency and the sustainability of productivity and oenological quality. This study evaluated the effects of vertical shoot positioning and foldable lyre systems (set at angles of 20°, 30° and 40°) on the physiological performance and yield of ‘Merlot’ grapevines. The experiment was conducted in a humid temperate region in Brazil over two consecutive seasons. The experiment followed a randomized block design. The variables evaluated included: the number of clusters per shoot, cluster weight, pruning weight, Ravaz Index, leaf area and yield; gas exchange parameters such as net CO₂ assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, rubisco carboxylation efficiency, intercellular CO₂ concentration and photosynthetic photon flux density; and chemical composition of berries such as pH, Total Soluble Solids and Titratable Acidity. The data were subjected to an analysis of variance, and the means were compared using Tukey’s test at a 5% probability level. The results indicated that canopy architecture significantly influenced solar radiation interception, with the 30° and 40° foldable lyre systems achieving the highest mean daily radiation levels, exceeding the vertical positioning system by 73.7% and 76.6%, respectively. Although gas exchange at the leaf level remained comparable across all systems, agronomic performance varied considerably. The 40° foldable lyre system achieved the highest yield (22.99 t ha⁻¹), representing a 63.1% increase over the vertical positioning system (14.10 t ha⁻¹). The number of buds in the foldable lyre systems increased by around 70%, which is closely in line with the observed increase in yield. In addition, the foldable lyre systems provided about 40% more leaf area than the vertical positioning system. These findings suggest that divided canopy systems, such as foldable lyre systems, particularly at 30° and 40°, optimize bud load, fruitfulness per shoot, light interception and significantly increase yield without compromising individual physiological efficiency and berry chemical composition, with a balance between vegetation and fruit load preserved and with positive effects on the ripeness and quality of the grapes. Full article

Intensive horticultural and fruit production in Chile relies on pesticides, raising concerns about compliance with residue limits and the continued availability of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs). Recent national monitoring data from Chile indicate frequent detections of HHPs in plant-based foods and repeated exceedances of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). This study analyzed official datasets from Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture, combining food residue monitoring data from 2015 to 2023 with pesticide sales and import statistics as additional indicators of availability. Active ingredients were standardized to ISO names and CAS numbers and classified for HHP status based on FAO/WHO hazard criteria, with cross-referencing to the Pesticide Action Network (PAN). The results present surveillance indicators focusing on detection rates and MRL exceedance proportions. Between 2015 and 2023, residues were identified in 82.8% of the collected samples. The most frequently detected residues overall included fludioxonil, acetamiprid, pyrimethanil, fenhexamid, and boscalid, indicating a detection profile primarily characterized by fungicides with substantial contributions from insecticides. When restricting to HHPs classified residues, the most frequently detected HHPs included tebuconazole, captan, iprodione, spirodiclofen, chlorantraniliprole, and carbendazim, indicating a detection profile primarily characterized by fungicides, with significant contributions from insecticides. Records of exceedances were concentrated within a limited subset of residues, predominantly acetamiprid and dithiocarbonates, and were most frequently associated with apples, table grapes, cherries, blueberries, pears, and certain vegetables, notably leafy vegetables. The active ingredients classified within HHPs included fludioxonil, fenhexamid, tebuconazole, cyprodinil, and lambda-cyhalothrin. The findings support agronomic decision-making by emphasizing GAP/PHI reinforcement, targeted monitoring, and IPM-based substitution options for activities involving recurrent HHP detection. Full article

Grapes are high-value crops, but expanding cultivation has made manual harvesting inefficient and costly due to labor shortages and weather constraints. Automated harvesting requires accurate and lightweight image segmentation to ensure reliable visual perception. Improving segmentation precision, robustness, and model compactness is thus critical for intelligent grape harvesting. To enhance segmentation robustness in complex orchard environments, this study introduces a multimodal fusion and multi-scale enhancement strategy and develops a lightweight instance segmentation network. Using a multimodal grape dataset containing RGB, near-infrared (NIR), and depth information, a multi-resolution training scheme based on an image-pyramid framework was constructed. Among the three YOLOv11-based fusion strategies, early fusion achieved the best performance. Accordingly, the lightweight model YOLOv11-WFD was designed by integrating FasterNeXt, DySample, and WaveletPool to strengthen feature extraction, adaptive sampling, and small-object perception. The model delivers high segmentation accuracy and strong deployment suitability for intelligent harvesting applications. Experimental results show that YOLOv11-WFD achieves a mAP@50:95 of 79.3% on the validation set with only 2.25 M parameters, demonstrating outstanding performance in both precision and compactness. Compared with YOLOv3-tiny, YOLOv5n, YOLOv8n, YOLOv10n, YOLOv11n, and YOLOv12n, YOLOv11-WFD improves mAP@50:95 by 25.4, 3.0, 2.7, 2.8, 2.0, and 3.1 percentage points, respectively, while reducing parameters by 80.4%, 7.8%, 23.5%, 10.7%, 20.8%, and 18.8%. Overall, YOLOv11-WFD achieves an excellent balance among accuracy, speed, and complexity, verifying the effectiveness of the multimodal fusion and lightweight integration strategy. It shows strong potential for practical applications and large-scale deployment in complex agricultural environments such as intelligent grape harvesting. Full article

The need for new feed ingredients that could reduce methane (CH₄) emissions from dairy cattle while maintaining rumen function is essential for sustainable milk production. This study aimed to evaluate the CH₄ mitigation potential of selected microalgae and macroalgae, along with an agro-industrial by-product, using two feeding strategies, and hypothesized that lipid- and polyphenol-rich materials would reduce CH₄ production in an inclusion-dependent manner. An in vitro batch culture study (24 h) was conducted to evaluate microalgae (Euglena gracilis and Aurantiochytrium spp.), macroalgae (Undaria pinnatifida), and an agro-industrial by-product (grape marc) either as feed additives (5%) or as a partial replacement of the concentrate mixture (30%, 50%, and 70%) in a basal diet consisting of 50% Klein grass hay and 50% concentrate mixture. As a feed additive, grape marc stands out for its potential to reduce CH₄ yield by about 43.3% without adversely affecting digestibility, pH, or total volatile fatty acid concentrations. When used as feed replacements, Euglena-, Aurantiochytrium-, and grape marc-based feeds reduced CH₄ yield at the highest replacement levels (50 and 70%); however, these effects were accompanied by decreased total gas production and volatile fatty acid concentrations, indicating reduced fermentation activity. Meanwhile, at a 30% replacement level, they showed promising efficiency as alternative feeds. Overall, CH₄ mitigation depends more strongly on inclusion strategy rather than feed type. Lipid-rich microalgae showed potential as concentrate replacements up to 30%, whereas grape marc was most effective as a feed additive for reducing CH₄ emissions. Full article

Raisins come from dried Vitis vinifera L. grapes. They are consumed worldwide, and their shape, color, texture, and taste largely determine consumer preference and market success. Consumers often select raisins based on visual appeal—namely color—without insight into how this relates to nutritional quality. Therefore, this study evaluated raisins of different colors based on non-targeted metabolomics to reveal the nutritional differences among differently colored raisins and to measure the differences in antioxidant capacity. Compared with green raisins (‘Sultanina’), 377–381 differential metabolites were identified in other colored varieties. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that these metabolites were enriched in pathways such as ‘biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites’ and ‘amino acid metabolism’. The comparison of the antioxidant capacity of raisins of different colors shows that the darker the color of the raisins, the stronger their antioxidant capacity. Correlation analysis between total antioxidant capacity and 14 differential metabolites showed a significant positive correlation. Notably, syringetin levels in black raisins (‘Blackcurrant’ and ‘Sweet Sapphire’) were substantially higher—148.31 and 515.94 times greater, respectively—than in green raisins (‘Sultanina’). This elevated syringetin content may significantly contribute to the enhanced antioxidant capacity of black raisins. Furthermore, based on the positive ion mode, the relative contents of 24 and 12 differential metabolites were relatively high in green and red raisins, respectively. The negative ion model identified that 19 and 4 differential metabolites had relatively high contents in green and red raisins. These metabolites may be linked to the unique health benefits of red and green raisins. This study provides valuable insights for consumers selecting raisins based on health needs and for companies developing raisin-based health products. Full article

Kyoho grape, a leading table grape variety in China, is prone to rapid postharvest deterioration due to its soft texture and high respiration rate. Despite the use of low-temperature storage and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), systematic studies defining the optimal combination of subzero temperature and gas composition for Kyoho grapes remain lacking. This study aimed to fill this gap by evaluating the synergistic effects of subzero temperature and MAP on quality preservation. Results demonstrated that storage at −1 °C most effectively maintained fruit firmness, stem freshness, and key biochemical components. Based on this temperature, a gas composition of 3% O₂, 15% CO₂, and 82% N₂ was identified as the most effective, extending postharvest shelf life to 54 days. Additionally, a kinetic shelf-life prediction model based on firmness changes was developed with relative errors below 10%, demonstrating high accuracy. This study establishes an integrated preservation strategy combining subzero temperature (−1 °C) and optimized MAP (3% O₂, 15% CO₂, 82% N₂) that significantly extends the shelf life of Kyoho grapes, providing a practical solution for enhancing postharvest quality. Full article

Accurate and non-destructive evaluation of grape quality is crucial for intelligent viticulture, yet most existing approaches address cultivar classification and soluble solid content (SSC) prediction as independent tasks based on single-modality data, limiting robustness and practical applicability. This study proposes DualStream-RTNet, a unified multimodal deep learning framework that simultaneously performs grape cultivar classification and SSC prediction by integrating RGB-HSV fused images and PCA-compressed hyperspectral spectra. The dual-stream architecture enables the complementary learning of external chromatic–textural cues and internal physicochemical information, while a Transformer-enhanced fusion module strengthens global representation and cross-modal correlation. A dataset of 864 berries from five grape cultivars was used to validate the model. DualStream-RTNet achieved 93.64% classification accuracy, outperforming ResNet18 and other CNN baselines, and produced more compact and consistent confusion-matrix patterns. For SSC prediction, it consistently yielded the highest performance across cultivars, with R2p values up to 0.9693 and RMSE as low as 0.2567, surpassing the PLSR, SVR, LSTM, and Transformer regression models. These results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed framework in capturing both visual and spectral characteristics. DualStream-RTNet provides an efficient and scalable solution for comprehensive grape quality assessment, offering strong potential for real-time sorting, precision grading, and smart agricultural applications. Full article